What follows is a short summary of my first experience with the french press:

Upon internet friend Alex's recommendation, I decided a few days ago to order coffee brewed in a french press. In addition to this recommendation, Alex provided me (via PM) with a helpful youtube tutorial that walks the viewer through brewing coffee in this manner.

After educating myself about this world, I made a plan to set out to a Houston neighborhood called The Heights, where you can find a coffee shop called Antidote. I chose this coffee shop primarily because it has great coffee and the equipment to brew with a french press, but I took a big risk knowing about their their shoddy wi-fi router. I needed to do actual work, so upon travelling across town, I equipped myself with nothing more than my laptop and my confidence. Still, big risk involved here.

Upon arrival at Antidote, I staked out a table in which to set my laptop up. I found one with enough real estate to accommodate the machine and the extra heft of the french press+cup, then I went to the counter to make my order. The barista was incredibly helpful in helping me pick out a blend to put inside the press, reminding me that each bean would taste as pure as nature intended when brewed dans le style presse française. I chose the Peruvian bean.

As soon as she put the grinds inside the press, I began timing the process. The aforementioned youtube tutorial told me to wait four minutes before pressing the grinds, so that's exactly what I intended to do. In that four minute gap, I paid, went to my table, started up my laptop, then tried to establish a connection with Antidote's unreliable wi-fi. No dice. I tried again and again, but there was absolutely no connection to be had. I couldn't afford to wait any longer, as my four-minute window had already closed to the tune of 16 seconds ago, so I thought I'd better plunge those grounds and FAST. Plunge I did, and as I plunged that simple machinery that didn't need any extra attention like a wi-fi router or a power cord in order to work, I quietly thought to myself that the Luddites had it right.

I never did establish a wi-fi connection at Antidote that day, but that turned out to be a happy accident. It's as if Antidote was beckoning me to unplug for a little while and enjoy her wonderful coffee and her amply shaded patio on a crisp, fall afternoon. It's a shame that I did have to do some work later that day, or else I would have stayed much longer.

It's highly possible. The only stumbling block I can see happening is the fact that only the elite coffee shops in town offer a french press. One is Antidote, which isn't far, but also isn't close enough to frequent daily, another is Black Hole, which I'm afraid to go back to, and the last one is Catalan, which is always too crowded.

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